Curriculum

 

The module is designed to be completed in 9 months (with an additional 3 months grace period if required, at no additional cost).

 

The following subjects will be covered:

Beginning Court Reporting Machine Technology - Introductory course in real time stenographic machine shorthand writing. Chapters 1 to 33 of Mark Kislingbury's theory book, Magnum Steno: Beginning Theory, will be covered. Students will learn brief forms for writing thousands of the most common words and phrases and a phonetic-based system for writing all words. They will learn all keys on the stenographic machine, proper writing posture and form, read back and transcription of notes, and dictionary building. Concepts covered include: Philadelphia Shift, Finger Spelling, Numbers and Number Bar, and Introduction to Right-Hand Phrase Enders.

 

English Homophones 1 - The field of court reporting demands exceptional English skills. This course will teach students to recognize and distinguish between homophones: words that sound the same/similar but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Students will learn the differences in meaning and spelling of hundreds of homophones, such as "slight" and "sleight;" "imminent" and "eminent;" "compliment" and "complement;" and "confirmation" and "conformation," in order to develop the ability to decipher correct homophones in context.

Medical Terminology 1 - In this course students are given an overview of basic human physiology and its related medical terminology. Students study word structure, word roots, prefixes, and suffixes to learn proper pronunciation, spelling, and usage of medical terms. Knowledge of medical terms serves court reporting students well in both quality transcript production and certification testing.

 

Intermediate Court Reporting Machine Technology - Intermediate course in conflict-free, real time stenographic machine shorthand writing. Chapters 34 to 66 will be covered. Students will continue to develop skills in high-level, efficient writing. Concepts covered include: Question and Answer Court Reporting Symbols; Q&A Extensions; Legal, Testimony, and Jury Charge Terminology; Prefixes and Suffixes; State Names; Common First and Last Names; Years in One Stroke; and Advanced Right-Hand Phrase Enders.

English Homophones 2 - A continuation of English Homophones 1, students will recognize and distinguish between homophones: words that sound the same/similar but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Students will learn the differences in meaning and spelling of hundreds of homophones, in order to perfect the ability to decipher correct homophones in context.

Medical Terminology 2 - A continuation of Medical Terminology 1, this course covers more medical terminology. Students study word structure, word roots, prefixes, and suffixes to learn proper pronunciation, spelling, and usage of medical terms.

 

Advanced Court Reporting Machine Technology - Advanced course in conflict-free, realtime stenographic machine shorthand writing. Chapters 67 to 94 will be covered. Students have already learned to write on the stenographic machine at a high level, and will continue to develop their mastery. Concepts covered include: Speaker Identification, Additional Finger Spelling, Advanced Prefixes and Suffixes, Common Countries and Regions, Geographical Directions, and Advanced Right-Hand Phrase Enders. Speed development ranges between 80 and 100 words per minute by end of course.

Punctuation - In this course students will learn how to punctuate spoken language according to the rules of English. Special consideration is given to punctuation for the spoken word, versus the written word, given how spoken language can deviate from standard English sentence construction. Students explore difficult punctuation scenarios from actual transcripts, including broken, layered, and incoherent speech; and discuss proper punctuation. Concepts covered include: proper placement of periods, commas, dashes, semicolons, quotation marks, etc.

Court Reporting Technologies - Students will learn how to use DigitalCAT court reporting software, including but not limited to: writing realtime; creating, building, and maintaining dictionaries; editing; formatting; using keyboard macros; and using, making, and launching macros from the steno machine. A basic computer skill review is included in this course.

 

$3995.00 (additional $250 discount if paid in full upon registration)

If you prefer to pay in installments, then first installment is due of $1000 on the day of the registration and remaining amount can be paid in monthly installments of $500 per month for 6 months.

 

The module is designed to be completed in 9 months (with an additional 3 months grace period if required, at no additional cost).

The following subjects will be covered:

 

Court Reporting Speed and Academics Part 1 - In this course students begin to develop speed in machine shorthand writing, with particular emphasis on Mark Kislingbury's speedbuilding methods. Students are given question and answer, literary, and jury charge dictation material at speeds of 80 to 120 words per minute. Students will be taught to apply the rules of grammar, spelling, and punctuation to produce quality transcripts. For successful completion of this course, 95% accuracy on 5 minutes of unfamiliar dictation at 120 words per minute is required.

Court Reporting Speed and Academics Part 2 - In this course students continue to develop speed in machine shorthand writing, with particular emphasis on Mark Kislingbury's speedbuilding methods. Students are given question and answer, literary, and jury charge dictation material at speeds of 140 to 180 words per minute. Students will continue to apply the rules of grammar, spelling, and punctuation to produce quality transcripts. For successful completion of this course, 95% accuracy on 5 minutes of unfamiliar dictation at 180 words per minute is required.

Court Reporting Speed and Academics Part 3 - In this course students continue to develop and finalize speed requirements in machine shorthand writing. Students are given question and answer, literary, and jury charge dictation material at speeds of 200 to 225 words per minute. Students will continue to apply the rules of grammar, spelling, and punctuation to produce quality transcripts. For successful completion of this course, 95% accuracy on 5 minutes of unfamiliar dictation at 225 words per minute is required.

Court Reporting Procedures - This course addresses the role of the court reporter on the job. Students will learn how to properly perform features of a court reporting job, including how to mark and handle exhibits, identify multiple speakers, swear in witnesses, and format transcripts. Attorney-court reporter interaction is covered, and absolute professionalism in dress and action is emphasized.

Court Reporting Internship - Students in high speeds (generally in the 200wpm range) will benefit from going out on the job with actual court reporters and through exposure to real‐world scenarios and life on the job. The internship requires a total of 40 hours as well as production of a 40‐page transcript.

 

Fee for the module:

$3995.00 (additional $250 discount if paid in full upon registration)